Mitchell Santner Powers New Zealand national cricket team to 168/7 Against Sri Lanka national cricket team

In the Super 8 match of the T20 World Cup 2026, New Zealand opted to bat first against Sri Lanka and scored 168 for 7 in 20 overs. Mitchell Santner was seen playing an aggressive innings of 47 off 26 balls, including 2 fours and 4 sixes, which helped the Kiwis reach a good score. The decision of Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka to opt for bowling first seemed correct at first, but New Zealand added more than 50 runs in the last overs. Mahesh Theekshana took three wickets, and Dushmantha Chameera took two wickets. This match can prove to be crucial for the semi-finals in Group 2, as both New Zealand and Sri Lanka require a win. Pakistan is also closely observing this match.

Sri Lanka's bowlers pushed New Zealand on the back foot early in the match. Theekshna struck first, dismissing Finn Allen (23) caught and bowled in the powerplay. After that, the spinners dominated. Mahesh Theekshna, Dunith Vellalalage, and Dushman Hemantha combined to trouble the Kiwi batsmen. Key players like Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, and Daryl Mitchell departed early, leaving New Zealand at 6 for just 84 in 12.1 overs. The spinners controlled the run rate in the middle overs and took a flurry of wickets.

However, Sri Lanka suffered the consequences of dropping two easy catches. The first was Tim Seifert, who was dropped by Theekshana at short third man. The second was Ravindra, who was dropped by Shanaka, but Phillips was dismissed on the very next ball. These mistakes gave New Zealand some relief; the score could have been even lower.

When New Zealand's innings began to falter, captain Mitchell Santner and Cole McConchie forged a crucial partnership for the seventh wicket. Both adopted an aggressive approach and put pressure on the Sri Lankan bowlers. Santner smashed sixes, while McConchie supported him with restrained batting. The pair took the score from 84 runs after the loss of seven wickets to 168, with 84 runs added in the last eight overs. McConchie remained unbeaten on 31, while Santner was caught by Chameera on 47. This partnership not only helped New Zealand reach a respectable total but also made the match exciting. Sri Lankan pacers proved expensive in the death overs.